A review by literaryelephant
The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was such a sad and beautiful read packed with nuance on the traumas inflicted by slavery in the southern US (circa 1830s), particularly in regards to Black LGBTQ+ experiences. The structure of the novel is modeled on that of the bible, which fits the theme; it is Christianity that is essentially weaponized against our main characters. I thought the setup was clever and enjoyed getting a new perspective with almost every chapter, but I also found it episodic in a way that made it easy to put the book down at any point and harder to pick it up and get back into the flow of the overall story. Nevertheless, a brilliant and heartbreaking book.
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